2001 in Gravy LandDear all Bee was born on Saturday 27 January 2001 in Bunbury. And so our most domestic year on record began. Sleepless nights, long, long days. Raspberry's blown on bellies. The tumultuous deepening of life and love. The year has passed in the wink of an eye, just like they say it does. Every day has just dissolved, from one into the next. Punctuated by the whirr of the washing machine, the cries and laughter of the Bimba and her parents, the song of the birds outside. The enormous transition of it all. We started out continuing with life as usual, on one level at least. Yet of course, nothing would ever be the same again. For now we are three. The summer season in Margaret River continued. The French Connection Festival offered many fine concerts, plays and social events to keep the gadfly's gadding, even with the beautiful Bee in tow. She lapped it up. Kept sleeping, feeding and waking to play with the people. Threw a few smiles around the room, swotted the odd glass of red over unsuspecting shoulders, got away with it – with a blink and a beaming smile. Gra's work has been very solid. They keep coming back for more, allowing us to continue our tele-commuting lifestyle - as software commands get beamed across the ether and couriered around the globe. As always, Gra is a legend, yet perhaps the boundaries, balance and distractions have never been more difficult to contend with. We are interested in hearing from anyone with projects and ventures that might need our talents as it is time to diversify a little to keep life interesting. Anything from Margaret River to Venice would work! As for his good wife - well, after a 'careerista' panic attack (or three) while breast feeding endlessly on the couch, I launched into a range of noble ventures and causes with my usual passion/fervour, eventually realising that the one with the nippers hanging off my left tit was the most compelling of them all. Writing is becoming more and more a part of my life and I am loving that. It feels very right. More on this later… The new parent's scene in town has given all three of us the chance to forge essential new bonds, helping make sense of the divine chaos and upheaval that reigns supreme. Wino's was opened, and opened it arms to the pram-pushing brigade. Its fires, space, warmth, music and damn good tucker & squirt have brightened up the town no end. Always room for another good place to eat, drink and be merry. Then there was Italy. That shining light on the horizon, helping make sure domestic/rural bliss didn't feel like too much of prison. La Bella Bimba Bee-ah-tree-chay charmed them mercilessly, and slurped her first piece of spaghetti on the Italian Riviera, my dear. Five weeks in the backpack, Gra's hiking legs held firm yet again. London, Bologna, Siena, That Villa, the Bay of Poets with Bek & Lorraine - The Glamour Nanny's, Cinque Terra, Ischia, Venice. Ahh Venice. The Biennale. Then back to London for the Tate Modern. So much beauty, so much art. So many nappies. So little sleep. Such hard work. Next time, we stay put. Anyone for a house swap!? Heading back home, it soon became apparent that some realities were chomping down as hard as Bee Bee's eight new teeth on a ripe/raw nipple. Post-travelling exhaustion set in, the bank balances had never looked worse and the block had not sold. [News flash: just accepted a good offer!] Enter Ngala and the "teaching to sleep" routine (aka "sanity saver" or "control crying"). Within two days, we were all sleeping again and much better for it. Though we still miss her in bed, and go in most nights to gaze at her in awe. The exhaustion hasn't really seemed to go away since Europe, but we soldier on. A recent bout of very poor health in the wee family has really knocked us all for six, and a certain amount of contraction and stopping still has been necessary. As of today, it looks like we are on the mend. But standing still was never something any of us were particular attuned to. Least of all She Who Must Be Watched Like A Hawk. Yes, Bee is bruising those gorgeous little knees as she tears up the hallway and try's to lock herself in the dunny. Lucky we are not completely decrepit yet and can still keep up with her. So far so good anyway. So what else amongst it all.... doing up the new house - our first real Home together. Completing the solar heating/water system, netting the orchard, coaxing the odd egg out of the girls Henny Penny and Dot. (That Satan ran away to goodness know's where!). Planting our first vege patches. Chucking a few pavers down to the beautiful bath tub in the rose garden. Ahh the roses. They continue to fill our house and life with beauty. Living in the big room feels like living in a bird hide. Slowly, we are learning to keep the flywire shut so all the poor little silvereyes don't get trapped inside. Visitors from near and far. Some new faces in town. Highlights?
And so much more. So much more. Journeys without, journeys within. All continues to be slowly, ever so slowly revealed.
S'all for now. Keep in touch.
Love, lots of it Libby Gra & Bee Bee Davy-Sutherland
© Libby Davy 2002
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